The invention relates to a sports device for sliding on the respective underlying surface, in particular a winter sports device.
Today there are on the market many different sports devices which all serve for sliding on inclined surfaces covered by snow or ice. In this respect there must be a distinction drawn between systems having one skate or having a plurality of skates in just the same way as a distinction must be drawn in the case of winter sports devices having two skates as to whether these skates can be moved independently of each other by the user.
The typical case of a winter sports device having two skates to be moved independently of each other is a pair of skis, with which in each case one ski is connected securely to one foot by means of a binding. Derived from this was, for example, the mono-ski, which is equipped with only one skate and with which both legs are secured on only one skate, usually by means of an intermediate plate.
A further representative of a winter sports device having only one skate is the so-called snowboard, with which however, in contrast to a ski, the user does not stand in the traveling direction but with one leg across and the other oblique to the traveling direction.
The disadvantage of a snowboard is that, when traveling on the edge, as is necessary in particular on relatively steep and icy slopes very great effort has to be expended for this edging on account of the width of the snowboard if about 24-35 cm. In addition, there are no additional supporting elements, such as for instance ski sticks, available for this.
In order to remedy this disadvantage, there have been developed winter sports devices which have fitted underneath a standing plate, on which the user can even stand in different positions, skates which, by means of a mechanism, transfer an edging movement of the standing plate to the skates, such as German Utility Model G 86 26 399.4 or German Patent P 37 44 613 "Wintersport-gerat" (winter sports device).
All these devices were however, either of a complex design with regard to their mechanism or the mechanism used produced only a very indirect transmission of the change in load instigated by the user to the skates and vice versa, which ultimately has the consequence of spongy and unsteady traveling characteristics.
Furthermore, Austrian Pat. 372 052 shows a winter sports device of the same generic type having just a standing plate, in the case of which the skates are operatively connected to the connecting member on the one hand and the connecting member is operatively connected to the standing plate on the other hand at the front and rear by means of only one swiveling axis in each case. The edging movement is transmitted via a gear mechanism.
Also in the case of other types of sport, for example the water sports of surfing, windsurfing, water skiing, the sliding device is supported on the underlying surface by its surfaces and edges, it being possible for the edging movements intended in the present case to bring advantages. Therefore, a sports device according to the invention can be used not only for winter sport but also with corresponding modifications with regard to weight, loading and securing devices for the user, for these said types of water sport.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a sports device of the generic type with which sharp edging of the sliding surfaces is possible with only little effort and nevertheless irregularities of the ground are transmitted rapidly and directly from the skate to the user and vice versa.
The art referred to and/or described above is not intended to constitute an admission that any patent, publication or other information referred to herein is "prior art" with respect to this invention. In addition, this section should not be construed to mean that a search has been made or that no other pertinent information as defined in 37 C.F.R. .sctn.1.56(a) exists.